VW Brings Back Harlequin Polo as a Gravel-Slingin’ Rally Car

I’m a simple man. I see a harlequin Volkswagen, and I smile. As a longtime lover of most things VW (not all things—looking at you, ID.4), I have a soft spot for harlequin-liveried cars with different-colored body panels, a VW tradition going back three decades. And now that the iconic Polo is 50 years old, VW UK decided to celebrate the hatchback by wrapping a 2018 Polo R World Rallycross show car in a similar guise

For those of you not so well-versed in the world of Volkswagen, the Harlequin Polo was launched in 1995 in response to high customer demand. The previous year, VW showed off a Polo with different colored body panels; only nine examples were made to demonstrate VW’s modular manufacturing capabilities at the time. But so many people wanted to buy those nine cars, the brand put the Polo Harlequin Edition into production. In total, 3,806 Harlequin Polos were sold in Europe. Since customer demand was high even in North America, VW decided to bring a similarly multicolored Golf across the Atlantic, and the rest is history.

Here are the specific names for each color the harlequin cars use: Chagallblau (Chagall blue, Pantone code LD5D), Flashrot (Flash red, LP3G), Ginstergelb (Ginster yellow, LR132), and Pistazie (Pistachio, LD6D).

Recreating that multicolor design for this Polo rallycross car was the perfect choice to celebrate the Polo. While there have been objectively more exciting Polos throughout the nameplate’s 50 years, including several GTI models, the Harlequin Edition is the most unique. Hell, it’s one of the most unique cars ever made, full stop. And even though there was a Golf version, it was the Polo that kicked it off, making this a fitting way to honor the model’s 50th birthday.

Why a Polo R rallycross car and not a regular road-going version? The Polo was one of the most successful rally cars of its era, winning the World Rally Championship four years in a row, from 2013 to 2016, and the World Rallycross title six times since 2017. This 2018 rallycross-spec machine is pretty different from the WRC version, but it nevertheless looks great in harlequin colors. It’s arguably even sweeter than the road cars of the ’90s, thanks to comic-book-like graphics that add some visual texture and complement the body lines. It’s also a low-slung rally car with cool wheels and a kick-ass carbon fiber wing, which never hurts.

I’m so happy VW did this, as it honors three of the brand’s achievements: the Polo itself, the iconic Harlequin series, and its rallying success. While you’ll still find Polos in World Rallycross, the hot hatch hasn’t competed in the WRC in years. Either way, it would be a thrill to see this one fly its colors on a circuit or special stage.

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